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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Selenium

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Selenium logo

Selenium

Testing

Browser automation framework and the W3C WebDriver standard

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; Selenium flaky tests are the standing complaint: explicit waits and synchronisation are the tester’s job, where newer tools handle it automatically
  • They diverge on capability: Depot covers Depot CI, Selenium covers W3C WebDriver.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Selenium actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Selenium differ
AttributeDepotSelenium
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLILinux, macOS, Windows, Web
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTesting
Founded2022Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

Only in Selenium

  • W3C WebDriver
  • Many language bindings
  • Selenium Grid
  • Broad browser support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Selenium
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Selenium
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Selenium
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Selenium

Selenium

  • Cross-browser testing where Safari and legacy browsers must be coverednot Depot
  • Teams whose test suites are written in Java or C# rather than JavaScriptnot Depot
  • Distributing a large suite across a grid of machinesnot Depot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

Selenium

  • Flaky tests are the standing complaint: explicit waits and synchronisation are the tester’s job, where newer tools handle it automatically
  • Setup involves drivers, versions and grid infrastructure that Playwright and Cypress bundle away
  • Slower to run than tools that talk to browsers over a debugging protocol rather than WebDriver

Pricing, plan by plan

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Selenium

Free
  • SeleniumFree
    • Full functionality
    • Unlimited tests
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Choose Selenium if

  • You need w3c webdriver.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
  • You also want many language bindings.
Selenium review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or Selenium better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and Selenium at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or Selenium?
Depot starts at Free and Selenium at Free.
Does Depot or Selenium run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. Selenium runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
Can I use Depot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Depot best used for?
Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what Selenium is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that Selenium cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. Selenium covers W3C WebDriver, Many language bindings, Selenium Grid, Broad browser support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
Selenium: Is Selenium free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee. Paid costs come from grid infrastructure or services like BrowserStack.

Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
Selenium: Selenium or Playwright?

Playwright handles waiting automatically and is faster to set up, which removes most flakiness complaints. Selenium wins on language breadth, browser coverage including Safari, and existing suites you already have.

Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
Selenium: Is Selenium still relevant?

Yes. Its WebDriver protocol is a W3C standard implemented by every major browser, and very large existing suites are not rewritten cheaply.

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